The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 14

B4 TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2001 SPORTS THE SALINA JOURNAL OLYMPICS New IOC president breaks from Olympic image Samaranch's successor wants to stay in athletes' village at Salt Lake City By STEPHEN WILSON The Associated Press MOSCOW Jacques Rogge Wasted no time in showing how different his Olympic presidency will be. The Belgian surgeon and sailor won a landslide victory Monday to succeed Juan Antonio ranch as president of the International Olympic Committee, and then acted swiftly to break with its scandal-scarred and elitist ROGGE image. Within hours of his election, Rogge said he wanted to stay in the athletes' village at next year's Winter Games in Salt Lake City. "I think it's the best place to be in the Olympic Games," Rogge said at a news conference. "It's a wonderful atmosphere.

I hope to be able to do that." Rogge said he would meet Tuesday with Salt Lake City organizing chief Mitt Romney to ask if there was room in the village dorms at the University of Utah. "I hope he will make a room available for me," Rogge said. Romney quickly agreed to save space for Rogge. "It's a wonderful gesture and symbol of his commitment to the athletes," he said. "We'll make the room.

If he wants to stay in the village, he'll get a place." IOC members and officials normally live in luxurious hotels at the Olympics, with Samaranch renowned for staying in top-of-the-line suites with private elevator service and other perks. Rogge's gesture dramatically underlined his intent to give the IOC a more down-to-earth image, and it was in line with his own unpretentious style and pristine reputation. He was elected on the second of four possible rounds of secret balloting to claim the most powerful post in international sports, becoming the eighth president in the IOC's 107-year history He defeated Kim Un-yong of South Korea, Dick Pound of Canada, Pal Schmitt of Hungary and Anita De- Frantz of the United States. After DeFrantz was eliminated in the first round, Rogge received 59 votes three more than needed on the second ballot. He got more than double the votes of Kim (23) and Pound (22).

Schmitt got six votes. Rogge (pronounced ROH-guh) was elected to an eight-year term. After that, he can seek another four-year mandate. His offer to stay in the athletes' village carried added significance because of Salt Lake City's association with the Olympics' biggest corruption scandal. Ten members resigned or were expelled for accepting cash, gifts, scholarships or other inducements from Salt Lake bidders.

IOC delegates said Rogge's victory underscored their determination to continue with the reform process enacted after the Salt Lake scandal. "If ever anyone came in with a blameless character, it was Jacques Rogge," British member Craig Reedie said. "There are no skeletons in the Rogge cupboard." Added Johann Olav Koss, Norway's former speedskating champion: "It's very strong proof that the IOC wants reform and transparency. With the huge support he got, it's very clear he can have a strong voice for reform." Rogge, who was untouched by the scandal, repeatedly stressed his first priority would be to ensure the success of the Salt Lake City Games. He said he hopes to travel soon to Salt Lake City.

Samaranch stayed away from the Utah capital since the scandal broke in late 1998, and the IOC executive board has declined to meet there. "I think you're going to see a president who continues the process of reform and the removal of excess, and focus on athletes," Romney said. Rogge has stayed in the athletes' village eight times in his career, three times as a competitor in sailing and five times as Belgium's team leader. With the 80-year-old Samaranch stepping down after 21 years in office, Rogge represents both continuity and change. He's the first Olympian to serve as IOC president since Avery Brundage, an American who competed in track and field in Stockholm in 1912 and ran the IOC from 1952-72.

Rogge, the IOC's seventh president from Europe, has vowed to step up the fight against drugs in sports and wants to downsize the Olympics. A low-key member of the IOC since 1991, he won praise for coordinating the highly successful Sydney Games last year and for help in righting a foundering effort to organize the 2004 Games in Athens. "This guy is loaded with talent," NBC sports chief Dick Ebersol said. Rogge is the second Belgian to lead the IOC, after Henri de Baillet-Latour (1925-42). GOLF PGA Tour signs lucrative new TV deals Spurred by popularity of Woods, tour OKs $850 million in new TV rights By The Associated Press NEW Tiger Woods' value to golf now has another number attached to it.

In deals driven largely by his popularity, the PGA Tour agreed to new TV packages that increase its take by hundreds of millions of dollars. The contracts with ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, USA and The Golf Channel, announced Monday, run from 200306. They are worth about $850 million, according to two industry sources who spoke on condition of anonymity That figure represents a roughly 45 percent hike from the tour's four- year television packages negotiated in 1997 and running from 1999-02. There aren't major changes in the golf schedules for ABC, CBS and NBC, although each network does lose and gain tournaments. "Everybody pretty much kept their schedule intact," CBS Sports president Sean McManus said.

"I think it's a fair financial deal for us and the tour." The Players Championship will remain part of the Florida Swing and will be played in late March from 2003-06, just a few weeks before the Masters. "The tour continues to show opportunities for growth and for increase. We're delighted that Tiger is as visible as any athlete in the world. That adds to the overall growth of the game." John Wildhack ESPN senior vice president for programming PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem considered moving the tournament, regarded by some as the fifth major, to May so golf would have a marquee event every month from April through August. NBC keeps The Players Championship, while ESPN gets back early round coverage after a four-year hiatus.

Everyone involved has Woods to thank not least of all other golfers, who can look forward to more prize money. En route to becoming the youngest player to win golf's career Grand Slam and the first to win four professional majors in a row, Woods has spiked interest in the sport. PGA Tour events in which he played last year had TV ratings 65 percent higher than when he didn't play. Viewership was even higher when he was in contention. And his millions of dollars in endorsement deals give golf plenty of extra mainstream publicity, much as Michael Jordan provided for the NBA.

"Tiger has increased the exposure for the game. That's great for golf, it's great for the tour, it's great for us," ESPN senior VP for programming John Wildhack said. "The tour continues to show opportunities for growth and for increase. We're delighted that Tiger is as visible as any athlete in the world. That adds to the overall growth of the game." Under the new setup which doesn't include Grand Slam events, because they are not sponsored by the PGA Tour ABC will average 18 events per year, CBS 17 and NBC five.

On cable, the biggest mover was USA, which more than doubled its golf coverage by jumping from 15 tournaments this year to 33 per year over the length of the deal. ESPN drops from 18 to 14 events but adds quality by gaining The Players Championship and Memorial. The Golf Channel, which aired about a dozen tournaments annually under its old package, won't have any PGA Tour events as of 2003. It does have exclusive rights to the Buy.com Tour. Prize money presumably will increase thanks to the infusion of TV dollars, which could mean that $5 million purses will be commonplace under the next contract.

Van de Velde, Maggert qualify LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England Jean Van de Velde, who squandered a three-stroke lead on the 72nd hole of the 1999 British Open, will be back to try again after cruising through qualifying. Van de Velde made the field Monday after rounds of 70 and 68 over the last two days at the par-72 Southport and Ainsdale course. He lost his great chance to win the Open at Carnoustie when he hit into the water, lost his lead and a playoff to Scotland's Paul Lawrie. Also qualifying was Jeff Maggert, fifth to Tom Lehman in 1996, the last time the British Open was played at Royal Lytham St.

Annes. He had rounds of 69 and 65 at the par-72 St. Annes Old Links course. Failing to qualify for the British Open, which starts Thursday, were Europe's Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, and former captain Mark James. Also missing from the field will be Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson, Anders Forsbrand and Jarmo Sandelin, 1995 runner-up Costantino Rocca of Italy and former NCAA champion Luke Donald of England.

Azinger withdraws with flu Paul Azinger on Monday became the latest American star to pull out of this week's British Open. The 1993 PGA champion, who won a battle against lymphoma cancer in his shoulder, told championship organizers he had been suffering from flu for four days and had been unable to make the trip. Azinger, runner-up to Nick Faldo in his Open debut at Muirfield in 1987 and tied for seventh at St. Andrews last year, joins Hal Sutton, Lee Janzen, Kirk Triplett and Notah Begay among Americans who have pulled out. Woods Avoided bunkers in last year's win FROM PAGE B1 St.

Andrews," Lehman said. "If you can go around this course without "hitting in a bunker, you have really accomplished something." Not even Lehman avoided them when he won in 1996, although keeping track of how many is never an easy task. "I can remember two for certain," he said. Martinez reminded him that he hit in three bunkers on the 13th hole in the second round. "It's adding up quickly," Lehman said.

"That went from two to five." Don't put it past Woods to do the unthinkable play a bunker shot only in practice, as he did last year. Even though he has finished out of the top 10 in his last three tournaments, something he hasn't done in two years, he remains the top threat to become the first back-to-back British Open champion since Tom Watson in 1983. Another factor could be Phil Mickelson, who also spent last week in Ireland and arrived for his first practice round at Lytham on Monday morning. Mickelson has been in contention the first two majors, but struggled in the final round at ters and U.S. Open.

"There is no course that Tiger can't play," Lehman said. "There is no course Mickelson can't play. But anybody who can keep the ball in play, who is hitting it straight, putting decently, is going to have a chance to win this week." Lehman couldn't wait to get back to the scene of his only major, driving down from Loch Lomond after the Scottish Open on Sunday, teeing off at 9 p.m. and getting in seven holes before going to the restaurant where he ate every night in 1996. He even ordered the same dish, although he's not saying what it is.

"That's a secret," he said. There is no secret to Royal Lytham, a par 71 that measures only 6,905 yards but seems claustrophobic in spots as it bends its way along railroad tracks and a minefield of bunkers. Sergio Garcia was a 16-year-old amateur when he played in 1996, 2 under through seven holes before he found trouble and missed the cut. "I remember it was a pretty tight course," he said. "This course depends a lot on luck, but you still have to play well." Most of all, you have to stay out of the bunkers, Bronze cheer for Oregon's Heisman candidate ome college football items you might have missed while trying to avoid heat stroke: The Heisman Hype has begun in Manhattan, and in a big way.

A 100-by-80 foot mural of Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington is on the corner of 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, across the street from JOHN Madison Square RHHnp Garden. HUnUb Oregon spent The Daily $250,000 on the mural, even though the school's athletic de- Oklahoman partment needed roughly $1.8 million from the university's general fund to pay its bills this year. Texas Christian spent $90,000 last season hyping running back LaDain- ian Tomlinson, who finished fourth in the voting. Oklahoma simply mailed postcards to promote Heisman runner- up Josh Heupel. Oregon football and Harrington have enjoyed national prominence the past couple of seasons.

Why blow a quarter-million bucks on a street corner in Manhattan? How influential can the mural be? Do they expect a rush of Heisman voters to visit the corner of 34th and Seventh? When 20 members of the Northern Illinois football team arrived at their field last Thursday, they found a drum corp from Columbus, Ohio, practicing for the Drum Corps Midwest competition. Huskies strength and conditioning coach John Binkowski asked the drum corp to leave, but a shoving match ensued. Several musicians were knocked to the ground, but no one was seriously injured. Binkowski and team member Anthony Falbo were arrested and charged with battery. Binkowski was suspended without pay and could face further nary measures.

NIU president John Peters apologized in a statement. Huskies coach Joe Novak said he was "extremely disappointed in the individuals involved." If only Don McLain had been there to sing a verse from "American Pie." the players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield." Notre Dame plays at Nebraska on Sept. 8, and tickets are going for $600 each through ticket brokers and fans selling on the Internet. When the Cornhuskers played at South Bend, last season, an estimated 25,000 NU fans purchased tickets. No way will that many Notre Dame fans be in Lincoln, however.

"From what I understand," Notre Dame Alumni Association director Chuck Lennon told the Omaha World-Herald, "the modus operandi there (in Nebraska) is not to sell you tickets, that everybody has a pact not to do it." This will be the first time since 1948 that the Fighting Irish has played at Nebraska'a Memorial Stadium. The Sporting News preseason guide did not list an Oklahoma player among its top 40 defensive linemen, yet ranked the Sooners No. 2 nationally at the position. Huh? Nebraska kicker Josh Brown pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault charges and was fined $350 for his fight last month with another student who was dating Brown's former girlfriend. Brown could have been fined up to $500 and sentenced to six months in jail.

NU coach Frank Solich said Brown will remain on the team. Brown and his lawyer have refused comment. By The Associated Press A quick look at Jacques Rogge, elected Monday as president of the International Olympic Committee: Nationality: Belgian. Age: 59, Languages: Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish. Profession: Orthopedic surgeon.

Sports achievements: Competed in 1968,1972 and 1976 Olympics In sailing (Finn class). Sailing world champion and twice runner-up, 16 times Belgian champion. Played on national rugby team. Sports administration: President of the European Olympic Committees since 1989; vice president Association of National Olympic Committees; member of World Antl-Doping Agency council. Key IOC posts; Member since 1991; member of the executive board since 1998; chairman of coordination commission for 2000 Sydney Games and 2004 Athens Games; vice chairman of medical commission; member of executive committee of reform panel.

"Mr. Clean" Image and strong European support base offset relatively short spell within the IOC elite. Has said he wants to downsize the games and restore their human face, saying they have become too big and costly. CYCLING It's time to climb for Armstrong Two-time defending champ is 23rd, but he's expected to excel in the mountains By MICHAEL McDONOUGH The Associated Press AIX-LES-BAINS, France Lance Armstrong arrived at the foot of the Alps, where he began to take command in winning the Tour de France the last two years. The Texan finished in 32nd place Monday in the ninth stage, 24 seconds behind winner Sergei Ivanov of Russia.

Armstrong is 23rd in ARMSTRONG the overall standings, 35 minutes, 19 seconds off the lead held by Australia's Stuart O'Grady. But his strength the steep mountain climbs awaits. Armstrong still holds a 27-second lead over his main challenger, Germany's Jan Ullrich. Over the next five stages, Armstrong will attempt to conquer the French Alps and the Pyrenees. The grueling stretches force many riders to quit the Tour.

"It's an open Tour," Armstrong said. "Everyone is in with a chance." The big gap between Armstrong and O'Grady stems from Sunday's stage. Grady and 12 otherriders finished more than 30 minutes ahead of the main pack, which included most of the favorites. O'Grady is not considered a title threat. He is a poor climber and his place in the standings is about to plummet in the mountains.

"It's not really my thing or my specialty," said the Credit Agricole rider, who finished sixth Monday "I think I'll lose the jersey because it's too difficult for me." France's Francois Simon, second in the standings and 4:32 behind O'Grady, is well placed to take the overall lead in the run between Aix-Les-Bains and L'Alpe d'Huez. Also a threat is Kazak rider Andrei Kivilev, who leads Armstrong by more than 13 minutes and is in fourth place. Ivanov was part of an early break from the main pack. The Fassa Bortolo rider crossed the finish line in 3:57:48. Spain's David Etxebarria was second and Australia's Bradley McGee was third.

Ivanov was one of three riders expelled from last year's Tour hours before the start because of failed blood tests. Tourde France 200: TOUR GLANCE AIX-LES-BAINS, France (AP) A look at Monday's ninth stage of the Tour de STAGE: A 114.89-mile stretch from Pontarlier to Aix-les-Bains at the foot of the Alps. WINNER: Russian rider Sergei Ivanov in 3 hours, 57 minutes, 48 seconds. HOW OTHERS FARED: Two-time defending champion Lance Armstrong was 32nd, finishing 24 seconds behind Ivanov. Australia's Stuart O'Grady retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Armstrong is the favorite and then Ullrich." Team Telekom manager Walter Godefroot. Team Telekom rider Jan Ullrich, the 1997 champion, is considered Armstrong's main challenger. NEXT STAGE: A 129.79-mile stretch from Aix-les-Bains to L'Alpe d'Huez, high in the French Alps. i.